ETIOPIA SETTENTRIONALE & LA ROTTA STORICA

L’Etiopia del Nord è una delle zone più interessanti del Paese specialmente dal punto di vista storico ed artistico. Le principali città, Axum, Lalibela, Bahir Dar e Gondar furono teatro di antiche e potenti civiltà e ancora oggi se ne conserva testimonianza attraverso inestimabili e straordinari monumenti.
Axum, capitale dell’antico regno Axumita con i suoi obelischi istoriati ci offre testimonianza di un altissimo livello di civilizzazione, i tesori custoditi nella chiesa di Santa Maria di Zion sono ancor oggi utilizzati durante le più importanti cerimonie della chiesa Copta e in una delle sue cappelle, secondo la tradizione, si trova l’Arca dell’Alleanza, portata in Etiopia da Gerusalemme dalla regina di Saba.
Il sorprendente scenario offerto dalle montagne del Simien, paradiso dei trekkers, la cultura religiosa della chiesa Copta, la misteriosa atmosfera degli antichi monasteri porterà il turista a vivere una straordinaria esperienza.

DA VEDERE:

AXUM: i palazzi, gli obelischi, i templi, le fortezze che ricordano il potente impero Axumita
LALIBELA: undici chiese monolitiche scavate nella roccia più di 800 anni fa, la loro bellezza e la loro importanza architettonica ed artistica ne fanno “l’ottava meraviglia del mondo”
BAHIR DAR: le imponenti cascate del Nilo Azzurro, il lago Tana con le sue 37 isole ospitanti antichi monasteri Copti ricchissimi di splendidi affreschi
GONDAR: castelli che sembrano usciti da un libro di favole, memorie di un’era imperiale, chiese con magnifici dipinti
MEKELE: per secoli, sosta delle carovane di cammelli provenienti dalla Dancalia per il trasporto del sale, chiese scavate nelle montagne con soffitti e pareti magistralmente dipinti e scolpiti, che ancora oggi ospitano tesori della chiesa (croci, corone, tessuti preziosi, tamburi, manoscritti meravigliosamente miniati…)
MONTAGNE DEL SIMIEN E DEL TIGRAY: valli e cime di incredibile bellezza, splendidi panorami dell’altopiano etiopico, chiese antichissime scavate nella roccia con meravigliosi affreschi alle pareti

ITINERARI:

Code LTT 101 HISTORIC ROUTE – 5 DAYS (Only for resident)

Day 01 Fly to Bahir Dar, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, city tour, O/N

Day 02 Fly to Gondar, city tour, O/N

Day 03 Fly to Axum, city tour, O/N

Day 04 Fly to Lalibela, visit the first group of churches, O/N

Day 05 Visit the second group of churches, fly to Addis Abeba

Code LTT 102 HISTORIC ROUTE – 8 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, city tour, O/N
Day 02 Fly to Bahir Dar, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, visit Blue Nile falls, city tour, O/N
Day 03 Drive to Gondar, city tour, O/N

Day 04 Fly to Axum, city tour, O/N
Day 05 Fly to Lalibela, visit the first group of churches, O/N
Day 06 Lalibela – visit Asheten Mariam church with mule trekking, visit the second group of churches, O/N
Day 07 Fly to Addis Ababa, visit the open-air market, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy
Day 08 Arrival in Italy

Code LTT 103 HISTORIC ROUTE – 10 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, city tour, O/N
Day 02 Drive to Bahir Dar, along the way visit the Portuguese bridge and the Blue Nile river canyon, O/N
Day 03 Bahir Dar – city tour, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, visit the Blue Nile falls, O/N
Day 04 Drive to Gondar, city tour, O/N
Day 05 Drive to Axum, city tour, O/N
Day 06 Drive to Mekele, along the way visit some churches in the Wukro cluster, O/N

Day 07 Drive to Lalibela, visit the first group of churches, O/N
Day 08 Lalibela – visit Asheten Mariam church with mule trekking, visit the second group of churches, O/N
Day 09 Fly to Addis Ababa, visit the open-air market, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy
Day 10 Arrival in Italy

Code LTT 104 HISTORIC ROUTE + SIMIEN PARK – 12 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, city tour, O/N
Day 02 Drive to Bahir Dar, along the way visit the Portuguese bridge and the Blue Nile river canyon, O/N
Day 03 Bahir Dar – city tour, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, visit the Blue Nile falls, O/N
Day 04 Drive to Gondar, city tour, O/N

Day 05 Drive to Simien Park, visit of the park, O/N

Day 06 Trekking day in Simien Park
Day 07 Drive to Axum, city tour, O/N
Day 08 Drive to Mekele, along the way visit some churches in the Wukro cluster, O/N

Day 09 Drive to Lalibela, visit the first group of churches, O/N
Day 10 Lalibela - visit Asheten Mariam church with mule trekking, visit the second group of churches, O/N
Day 11 Fly to Addis Ababa, visit the open-air market, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy
Day 12 Arrival in Italy

Code LTT 105 HISTORIC ROUTE + TIGRAY CHURCHES – 12 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, city tour, O/N
Day 02 Drive to Bahir Dar, along the way visit the Portuguese bridge and the Blue Nile river canyon, O/N
Day 03 Bahir Dar – city tour, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, visit the Blue Nile falls, O/N
Day 04 Drive to Gondar, city tour, O/N
Day 05 Drive to Axum, city tour, O/N
Day 06 Drive to Hawzen, along the way visit of Yeha Temple of the Moon, O/N

Day 07 Hawzen - visit Gheralta cluster churches, O/N

Day 08 Drive to Mekele, visit Takatisfi cluster churches, O/N

Day 09 Drive to Lalibela, O/N
Day 10 Lalibela – visit the 11 rock-hewn churches, O/N
Day 11 Fly to Addis Ababa, visit the open-air market, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy
Day 12 Arrival in Italy

Code LTT 106 HISTORIC ROUTE + HARAR AND DIRE DAWA – 13 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, city tour, O/N
Day 02 Fly to Bahir Dar, boat trip on lake Tana to visit the monasteries, visit Blue Nile falls, city tour, O/N
Day 03 Drive to Gondar, city tour, O/N

Day 04 Fly to Axum, city tour, O/N
Day 05 Fly to Lalibela, visit the first group of churches, O/N
Day 06 Lalibela – visit Asheten Mariam church with mule trekking, visit the second group of churches, O/N
Day 07 Fly to Addis Ababa, drive to Awash N.P., O/N
Day 08 Awash N.P. – visit Awash River falls and Afar village, proceed to Harar, O/N

Day 09 Harar – city tour, hyena performance, O/N
Day 10 Drive to Sof Omar Caves, drive back to Harar, O/N

Day 11 Drive to Awash N.P., visit the Palm Hot springs, proceed to Nazreth, O/N
Day 12 Drive to Addis Ababa, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy

Day 13 Arrival in Italy

Code LTT 107 MONASTERIES, CHURCHES, CASTLES IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA – 14 DAYS

Day 01 Arrival in Addis Ababa, visit Trinity Cathedral, Saint George and Entoto Mariam, O/N

Day 02 Drive to Bahir Dar, via Debre Libanos monastery, O/N
Day 03 Boat trip to Gorgora, on the way visit the monasteries: Ura Kidane Meheret, Beta Mariam, Beta Giorgis, Nerga Selassie, Debre Sina; proceed to Gondar, O/N
Day 04 Gondar – city tour, O/N
Day 05 Drive to Lalibela, visit Nakutoleab church, O/N
Day 06 Lalibela – visit the 11 rock-hewn churches, O/N
Day 07 Lalibela – visit Yimrahane Christos and Asheten Mariam monasteries, O/N
Day 08 Drive to Hawzen, O/N
Day 09 Hawzen – visit the churches of the Wukro and Atsbi Clusters, O/N
Day 10 Hawzen – visit Gheralta Cluster churches, O/N
Day 11 Drive to Axum, on the way visit Debre Damo monastery and Yeha Temple of the Moon, O/N

Day 12 Axum – city Tour, O/N

Day 13 Fly to Addis Ababa, traditional dinner with Ethiopian music, in the night fly back to Italy

Day 14 Arrival in Italy